The Crownless Shall Again Be King
by Asher Elric
Summary: Revamped Au Gondor is in danger, but not from any outward means but from inside. Can Aragorn defeat this power while Denying his heritage?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer – I do not own anything!

A/N -- This story is being revamped -- it is still AU--with a totally different plot but about the same as well. Enjoy!

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_**The Crownless Shall Again Be King**_

_**Prologue**_

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Ecthelion glowered at his Advisor - the man had become insufferable, not wanting to strengthen the realm against the threat of Mordor, which had always been too close for comfort. They were seated in the stewards study, the sun glinting on the white stone.

"Ramlin, I do not like what you are telling me," Ecthelion raised an eyebrow.

"My Lord - I just do not believe that such young men should be taken from their families."

"I am not taking them, I am encouraging them to join Gondor's army and bring honor to their home and families. Do you not want honor to be restored to Gondor?" Ecthelion asked sternly.

"My Lord, that is not at all what I am suggesting,"

"Than what is it that you are wanting me to concider, Ramlin?"

"I merely wish things preserved, my Lord," The man managed.

"Preserved, indeed!" Ecthelion grunted, pacing. "I believe that a strong army will be needed in the future. You are dismissed,"

Ecthelion said with a wave of his hand. Ramlin bowed and left.

Ramlin scowled as he stormed down the halls, his hard blue eyes snapping. He wasn't one to be thwarted!

He met two other advisors in the gardens.

"What news have you?" Annaloth looked positively murderous.

"Ecthelion won't listen,"

"He's supposed to serve in the Kings stead; he takes his oath very seriously," Laurdil shook his head, thumping his cane for emphasis.

"I understand; but Isildur's Heir! Can you not imagine it?"

"You don't really believe that, Ramlin, do you?" Annaloth asked with a snort.

"You don't know what I know," Ramlin glared.

"Now, now, gentlemen, let us not fight; Ramlin, please inform us," Laurdil said.

"I know for a fact that Isildur's Heir is alive, all we have to do is find him," Ramlin said with a smirk.

"Honestly, and here I believed you to be sane!" Annaloth rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure? I mean, he could be just any young man with Isildur's looks." Laurdil also questioned the sanity of his friend and fellow advisor.

"I am! He was seen in Bree, near the Elf-haven," Ramlin replied snappishly.

"And how do you know that Himril and his men were telling thetruth?"

"I don't, but they have never failed me," Ramlin replied with a smug look. Annaloth shook his head, it was true.

"Very well, send Himril out once more to Bree and have him find the man he reported; if he can make clear the identity of this man, then he is to bring the Heir to Gondor where we can deal with him personally," Laurdil said.

"Of course." Ramlin said.

"How will we make the Heir listen to us? He must be very stubborn," Annaloth couldn't help but ask his companions.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," Ramlin smirked.

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_Thanks be to my beta Steelelf – who is THE best beta I have ever had! In fact, she is the ONLY beta I have ever had! Hannon le Mellon nin! _


	2. A Hunting We Will Go

_**The Crownless Shall Again Be King**_

**_Chapter 1 – A Hunting We will Go_**

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The sun filtered in through the huge picture window that looked over the valley of Imaldris. The morning sky was aglow with a light purple and orange; a light breeze flowed into the room and the occupant in the huge four-poster bed burrowed farther into the bedding. However, three inhabitants of the Elven haven would not let this person sleep.

Legolas peeked into the room and grinned when he saw his best friend. He entered the room along with two other elves that looked alike in looks and clothes. They snickered gently as they began their 'sneak' attack on the bed.

With a giant leap and war cries of "ESTEL WAKE UP!" they had sufficiently awoken the human. Estel bolted wide awake and glared at his brothers and best friend while the bed settled.

"What has gotten into you three? Have you eaten cat-nip again?"

"No, dear brother, but I thought we would all go on a short hunting trip today," Elladan said.

"Oh, and you didn't tell me last night? I would have been ready!" Estel sighed and rolled out of bed. He headed to the wardrobe.

"It'll rain sometime today, so don't forget a cloak," Legolas said.

"Right, what were you lot planning on hunting? If its orcs, I'm not going," Aragorn said as he got dressed. He then picked up his hair brush and started on the tangles in his own dark hair. Legolas took the brush from him and started doing it himself.

"Orcs? There hasn't been orcs around Imaldris since the last time you came across them," Elrohir laughed.

"I couldn't walk for a fortnight after that fiasco!" Aragorn snorted. Legolas started to fashion a braid belong to a Noldor warrior.

"Let's go have breakfast with Ada and tell him what we are doing today," Elladan said once Legolas was done playing with Estel's hair. The four raced each other through the house to the dinning room. Estel won, but he was sure that his brothers and best friend had let him, but he didn't say anything about it.

Elrond watched with a smile as the three young beings seated themselves at the breakfast table. Estel immediately helped himself to the food set before him. He particularly loved the blueberry muffins.

"What do you four plan on doing today?" Elrond asked.

"Go hunting, but we should be back sometime by evening…if Elladan and Elrohir don't get any big idea's about orcs and such," Estel muttered. Elladan and Elrohir looked a bit put-out.

"Ah, I thought so by the shouts coming from your room, Estel,"

"Well, I blame them," Estel shrugged giving a grin.

"I am expecting some guests, so please don't come home injured or too unclean," Elrond said, giving a pointed look to his youngest son.

"Yes, Ada,"

"Then have a marvelous time," Elrond smiled, he had finished his breakfast and went to make arrangements for his guests.

"Are we ready, yet?" Elrohir asked as he surveyed the table. Three head nodded and the small hunting group went to collect their weapons before meeting in the court yard of the Last Homely House.

"Find anything?" Legolas asked the Ranger below him. Estel was following the tracks with his eyes when he suddenly realized something very important.

"These aren't buck tracks," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"These were made by a horse, at least…two days old,"

"Lord Elrond would know if a stranger were in his woods," Legolas jumped from his tree, landing lightly beside Estel.

"Indeed, maybe it's someone that he knew was coming, maybe the guests he mentioned this morning; there are at least three different tracks here," Estel said, and pointed them out.

"One of these horses looks to be lame," Legolas said.

"Indeed, where are Elladan and Elrohir, they should see this," Estel said.

"Here we are! what have you found?" Elladan asked, he and Elrohir floated out of the woods, but they had only heard the last of the conversation.

"These tracks were made by horses, one seems to be lame, do you believe these to be Ada's guests?" Estel asked.

"Possibly, they look to be a couple days old…from our cave it would be three days as a walk, they are probably just taking their won sweet time," Elrohir said.

"Or they are scouting and mean us harm," Elladan snorted in an elfish fashion.

"What do you think we should do?" Legolas asked.

"Let's track them as much as we can and then return home and inform Ada of what we have found," Elladan said. This was agreed upon by all and they began to track.

Three hours later, with nothing else to atone for their hard work at tracking, Estel felt his anger rise to a point at which he just knew would get the best of him if he did not figure out the mystery of the tracks.

"Well, this is brilliant," he muttered as he lost the track once again. An hour and a half ago, he, Legolas and his brothers had split up when the tracks had separated. Now, he was very near the borders of Imaldris – noon had passed long ago, and he was starving.

He heard a high pitched whistle coming through the forest then. He couldn't help but put his hand on his hunting knife before sticking two finger sin his mouth and blowing back. Since becoming a Ranger, Estel had perfected most of the whistling techniques.

"Strider?"

"Halbarad?"

"I'm glad to see you are safe," Halbarad came out of the forest to Aragorn's right.

"What is wrong, my friend?"

"I've come from Bree – I have some bad news,"

"What sort?"

"Someone is looking for you,"

"Who? What name did they ask me after?"

"Isildur's Heir, they've even agreed to pay fifty gold pieces for you, alive; I've never sent hem before, by the way they talk I guess they hail from Gondor," Halbarad replied. Aragorn let out a few choice Dwarf curses.

"Indeed, I thought you'd want to know,"

"Wait a moment, what did they find out?"

"Nothing, only that a Ranger, you, of course they gave 'Strider' as the name; they told the Gondorians that a Ranger frequented the _Prancing Pony_ but they couldn't say when he had been last in and that he just appears," Halbarad said.

"Hmmm…Gondor you say?"

"The leader had gauntlets with and etching of the white tree and the seven stars,"

"Interesting…"

"It is, but don't do anything stupid, I'd have to resurrect you and kill you if you went and died on me,"

"I'm sure Legolas and my family would like a turn after your done with my corps," Aragorn laughed.

"Aragorn, my Lord, this is no laughing matter, I've sent a message to the Rangers stationed in Gondor, they'll find out what is going on, there is no need for you to go off and do anything we all will forget," Halbarad said.

"I won't, I can't promise, but I shall try and not do anything that'll get me into even more trouble," Aragorn replied.

"Good, I must go now, and you must meet up with your family; they are by the lake, to the west," Halbarad said.

"Thank you for coming,"

"Anything to protect my Chieftain," Halbarad said before he left. Aragorn took off in a western direction. He had a lot to tell his brothers and Legolas.

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A/N -- Hi! I know that this update has been long in coming, but Steelelf and myself want it to b e perfect! She is a very dedicated Beta!

Ta,

Poppy (& Steelelf)

_A special thanks to Steelelf, who give me direction in everything and has no fear of telling me that my writing is crap!_


	3. Dreams

_**The Crownless Shall Again Be King**_

_**Chapter 3 – The Dream**_

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The hunters made it back to the Last Homely House just after dinner – Estel hadn't said one thing on the way back and went to his room right away. Elladan, Elrohir and Legolas looked at each other but did not go after the human. Instead they believed that he would talk to them when he was ready.

Meanwhile, Estel was pacing his room back and forth; four feet to the picture window, five to the foot-board of his bed. As he paced he kept thinking of what Halbarad had told him. It had been two years since he had been told about his heritage by his adoptive father; but he wondered if that was the only reason that _those_ people were on the look out for him.

In the midst of these thoughts, Estel jumped when a knock came to his door; he looked out his window and saw that the sun was setting. "Come in," he called, knowing that whoever it was knocking would hear him. Though the person who entered wasn't the one he was expecting.

Arwen opened the door slightly and poked her head in; dark strands of hair fell into her eyes, but she didn't mind them. She entered the room fully when Estel beckoned to her.

"My lady, what as brought you to me?"

"Our brothers and Legolas were worried during dinner, I thought I'd come and cheer you up," Arwen replied.

"Ah, I see why they would be worried,"

"What happened in the woods?"

"I got some information from one of my Rangers,"

"Dangerous information, I suspect," Arwen moved to sit on the bed. Estel sighed and started fiddling with the ends of his hair.

"Well, someone is looking for me, well, more like they are looking for _Isildur's Heir_, but same difference," He shrugged.

"I see; what are you going to do?"

"Well, I can't very well hide here, can I?"

"I don't suppose so; though, I'd hate to see you hurt," Arwen cautioned.

"You sound like you know what your talking about,"

"I have Ada's gift to foresee – but my gift is not as prominent,"

"But you can see a bit of the future?"

"I can see a future that might be; depending on our choices the future changes,"

"Does it come to you in dreams? Sometimes I get dreams of something…but I can never figure out what it is," Estel shrugged.

"Sometimes it comes in dreams, other times in visions, the Valar gives these to us so that we might make the right choices," Arwen smiled gently.

"What did you see?"

"I can't tell you that – all I can tell you is…you must do what you believe is right," she stood, her flowing gown swirling about her, the natural elven glow lighting up the now dark room; she crossed the room to stand in front of the man.

"I love you," she whispered, she kissed him gently on the cheek before she left. Estel didn't bother to light a candle – it seemed as if Arwen's glow had stayed behind to warm his heart.

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**_No! stop! My love!_**

_She couldn't got to him; it was as if she had been staked to the spot. She felt tears trailing down her cheeks as she watched him being tortured. Everything that he had once believe was being ripped away from his soul and something else (**Darkness?**) was replacing it._

_**NO! DO NOT DO THIS!** She yelled. **Irmo! Can I do nothing to stop this?**_

_There was no answer, the dream kept playing out until finally the man collapsed and let out all of the sorrows he had kept inside of him. Estel, her love and joy was broken. **But, this is only a vision of what may come, not what is…**she reminded herself._

Then, all of a sudden, she was awake – she couldn't remember when she had fallen asleep; however, that did not matter. What mattered was that soon, Estel would go through the fires of hell, and he might not make it out alive. She rose off the davenport and pulled on her robe – it was late, maybe a few hours till morning.

Still, she could not keep the dream at bay; Arwen entered her balcony and looked over Imaldris by the help of the pale moon. The waterfalls fell gently, and the trees whispered to her hurting soul. Sometimes, she wished that Estel were an Elf – then she wouldn't worry about him so. But he wasn't, he had a different fate to fulfill, and she wanted to be beside him when that happened.

She knew that Estel would survive…whatever it was that was coming; it was inevitable, because one could not change fate like one could change the future.

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Legolas sighed when he knocked on Estel's door; the young human was packing, but Legolas didn't know why. Estel stopped stuffing a shirt in his pack when he saw his friend.

"Legolas…"

"I know, you have to go and do…whatever it is you need to do,"

"I'm sorry, but I have to do it alone; people…you, my family, will get hurt if I don't do something,"

"I understand,"

"Would you…give this to Arwen for me? So she doesn't forget?" Estel asked, he handed Legolas a pendant of an Eagle with ruby eyes. Legolas took it then he dug in a pocket of his tunic. He brought out a pin. It was silver with crystals all about it.

"Be safe, my friend," Legolas said, handing the star to Estel who pinned it on his cloak. They hugged briefly before Estel grabbed up his pack and left the room. Legolas sighed once again as he watched his friend go, he knew that he could not go with Estel; but that did not stop him from wishing.

Elrond looked at Estel with understanding – he stood from his desk and rounded it in order to stand closer to his youngest son. A hand ran through Estel's dark, unbound hair. Grey eyes were shining with a light that Elrond knew would make any other man shake on the spot.

"This will always be your home, my Estel,"

"I will miss you, I'll come back as soon as possible," Estel replied, Elrond pulled the young man into a strong hug. Estel buried his head deep into his fathers robes and breathed deeply of forests and waterfalls. When they parted, Estel gave him a small smile.

"Thank you,"

"Please, come back safely,"

"I will," Estel replied, and then Elrond walked him to the courtyard of the house. There, a white stallion had been saddled and stood waiting for him. Estel wished his family luck before riding out of the courtyard and essentially making his way into the unknown worlds of men.

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Notes – Irmo is the God of Prophetic dreams and Visions; one of the Valar.

A/N -- This is not beta-ed; I will probably try and re-write this chapter, and start on another chapter while on vacation.

ta,

Poppy

P.S. Please check out my Pirates fiction!


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